Philadelphia transit workers strike, shutting down 13 train lines

Workers, employers and travelers in the Philadelphia area have are being forced to make contingency plans as a commuter rail strike gets underway, adding to the region's summer transportation woes.

Four hundred workers at the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) regional rail system went on strike Saturday morning, shutting down 13 train lines that carry 60,000 commuters to the suburbs and Philadelphia International Airport each day.

The strike began after negotiations between the transit agency and two unions failed to reach a new contract deal Friday. No further talks were scheduled.

Subways, trolleys and buses operated by SEPTA will continue to run.

The strike prompted Gov. Tom Corbett to ask President Barack Obama on Saturday to intervene.

The Republican governor said he wants Obama to appoint an emergency board to mediate the contract dispute.

"The people of Philadelphia and the surrounding region expect and deserve a safe and efficient rail system to get them to work, medical appointments, school and recreation," Corbett said in a statement. "I call on both parties to work together, find common ground and place the riders at the forefront of mind in their discussions."

If the president grants the request, workers must return to work immediately and both parties must continue negotiations, Corbett said.

The last regional rail strike, in 1983, lasted more than three months.

"I hope it doesn't go that far. I don't anticipate that it would, but I don't know how long it will take us to try to find a common ground — if there is any," said Stephen Bruno, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

Bruno noted that the union has been working without a contract for four years and an extension "without any movement toward closure is really pointless."

Bruno said striking workers are seeking raises of at least 14.5 percent over five years — or about 3 percentage points more than SEPTA has offered.

Top wages for full-time transit workers in Philadelphia currently range from about $50,000 a year for electrical workers to $90,000 a year for engineers, who work 6-day weeks, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The strike adds to commuting headaches in the region, where major construction projects are making it more difficult than usual to get around.

Al Jazeera and wire services